Subconscious, Nightmarish Reality
by ajunkboat
Summary: Hitsuguya is targeted by Aizens latest plan. Nowhere is safe, especially his own mind... a multichapter fic of Hitsu-whump!
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first ever story so be nice? _

_I rated it M just in case, it might get kinda painful later on... *evil laugh* poor Hitsuguya_

_Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Tite Kubo... lucky bastard_

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CHAP ONE

Matsumoto smiled as the familiar white hair of her taicho became visible through the busy hallway packed with shinigami eager to leave work and head home.

"Taichoooooo!" she shouted, ignoring the glances of passers by.

She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up as she saw the scowl plastered across Toshiro's face as he turned to greet her. Most people were deterred by his frosty countenance and serious expression, but she knew him too well to be bothered by his less than friendly greeting.

"Matsumoto" he growled, "Tell me why you decided to ignore the stack of paperwork I left on your desk three days ago? And explain to me why I found an empty bottle of sake in the bottom drawer of my desk? And for the love of god, help me understand why I even tolerate you as my fuku-taicho at all?"

She giggled at his obvious annoyance before apologising quickly. "Gomenasai Hitsuguya-taicho, but there really are great reasons for all those things... maybe we should discuss it when you're not so tired and cranky?" She giggled again as his frown deepened, he really was just too cute when he was annoyed. Hitsuguya sighed as he realised he wouldn't get a serious answer out of her right now, her breath was rank with sake, despite the early hour of the evening. He would have to tolerate her company for the entire walk back home now he thought irritably. Not that he minded Matsumoto, but her bubbly personality was just not what he needed right now. His eyes threatened to close any minute and his mind desperately begged to shut down and re-boot. This kind of exhaustion was not unfamiliar to the white haired genius, but it didn't make it any less debilitating.

He nodded mutely at Matsumoto's questions and inane chatter, she was more than capable of carrying a one sided conversation, he thought, the amount she talked he was surprised she managed to take a breath. He continued walking numbly, one foot in front of the other, with little in his head except sleep.

The sudden tiredness had hit him like a ton of bricks as he stepped out of his office, not ten minutes ago. He couldn't understand it, he'd had a deep, uninterrupted sleep last night, and had only spent the day sitting behind his desk finishing paperwork. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the last few days, it had been business as usual for the tenth division- kill a hollow here, dispatch arrancar there, type up some reports and attend captains meetings- this exhaustion just made no sense!

He blinked as his dulled mind detected a slight shift in reiatsu, signifying the presence of the sixth division fuku-taicho. He turned to find the two lieutenants laughing and chatting amicably as they walked. How long had the red pineapple head been there? he wondered. Surely he wasn't so tired he couldn't keep track of his surroundings...

He started out of his thoughts as Matsumoto prodded him hard in the shoulder. "Ouch! What was that?" Outraged, he looked up to find a concerned expression on the faces of his companions. "Taicho, I've been talking to you for about ten minutes and you haven't even acknowledged me. I'm used to you ignoring me, but ten whole minutes is just mean!" Matsumoto's mock hurt didn't reach her eyes, which sparkled with concern for her captain's state of mind. "Are you ok taicho? You look really tired... Maybe you should stop working so hard and rest more?" She watched him carefully, hoping for an explanation for his silence, but was disappointed as he merely nodded and strode purposely off in the direction of his home.

"What do you suppose that was about?" she asked the red-head next to her. His equally puzzled face smoothed out as he shrugged it off and pulled her along to the bar they had been discussing earlier.

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Hitsuguya stumbled to his door and fumbled with the key for a few minutes before swinging the door wide and practically falling through the threshold to his home. The walk had drained him of what little energy he had had, and he barely made it to his bed before collapsing into deep slumber...

The first thing he noticed in the darkness was the silence. It was unnaturally silent here. It took him a moment to realise his eyes were open, apparently wherever he was, it was dark enough to render him practically blind. However as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he could made out the faint outline of a door not far from his seated position on a cold floor. Meaning to head towards the light, he discovered he could not move.

This dream could not get any weirder, he surmised. For this had to be a dream right? He could not remember how he'd got here or even where 'here' was for that matter. He struggled to remember any previous dreams, to see if this was a frequent unconscious haunt of his, but he never remembered his dreams.

His hopes rose as he heard faint footsteps outside the door, perhaps this would lead to some answers?... He waited uncomfortably on the floor and almost squeaked in fright as the door slammed open and light suddenly blinded him. Overhead lights flooded the small room and he felt strong arms roughly lift him up and place him on a chair. He squinted through his lashes and realised this was no dream.

This was a nightmare.

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_A/N: so how'd I go? Not too bad right? The next chapter will be up soon _


	2. Chapter 2

_New Chapter! Hopefully a little more exciting than the last one... I have a feeling this story might take a few chapters to heat up... sorry... I also apologise for any OOCness, this is my first ever fanfiction and I'm not quite sure how to pull off the characters so they seem genuine and can be identified as the right characters..._

_Disclaimer: I have to say it again? Still not mine, just playing with them while I'm bored _

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CHAP TWO

Glaring coldly down at him with cruel eyes and an even crueller smile was Aizen. Lurking behind him in the shadow of the door, Hitsuguya could just make out Gins wicked smile. He felt cold chains wrap around his wrists as they were pulled behind the chair, and tied painfully tight. Once he was secured, Tousen stepped in front of him to join Aizen.

The three ex-shinigami made an intimidating trio, staring him down, and Hitsuguya was not easily intimidated. He swallowed nervously, all thoughts of dreams and safety fleeing as he was sucked into the moment, and believable vividness of the dream. Shit he was in trouble.

Aizen stepped forward and spread his arms in welcome. "Welcome to my domain, Hitsuguya-taicho." His tone was mocking and his emotionless eyes pinned Hitsuguya in place.

"This is a dream." Toshiro spoke to himself, trying to believe the words and ignore the images of his mind. "They can't hurt you. You're dreaming Toshiro. You just have to wake up, and forget this stupid dream. You're safe, asleep, not tied to a chair at Aizens mercy." He shut his eyes, hoping that when he opened them he would awake in his bed. Silence descended and he almost breathed a sigh of relief. He was not afraid of Aizen, and would not show his fear or discomfort in front of an enemy in a normal situation, but he could allow himself this weakness inside his own mind... couldn't he?

Aizen's low chuckle filled his ears and he snapped his eyes back open. "Just a dream Hitsuguya-kun? I can see how you would draw that conclusion... And I suppose to some extent you could be called correct. But this is so much more than that." Gin stepped forward and drew Shinsou, grin plastered across his face as faster than a bullet, his zanpaktou extended and sliced across Hitsuguya's cheek, before returning to its original size. Hitsuguya had barely blinked, barely noticed the swords movement, but he sure felt the sting of the cut, and the blood slowly dribble down the side of his face. The gasp that escaped Hitsuguya's lips seemed to amuse Aizen, and his smile became genuine for the first time.

"I see you are starting to understand what I mean. While you may be unconscious, you are not dreaming. This is very, very real Hitsuguya-_taicho_." Hitsuguya resisted the urge to flinch at the venom in Aizen's voice as he said his name. He needed to calm down. He needed to wake up. This dream had gone from weird, to horrible, in less than ten minutes, and he didn't like it one bit. He needed to keep this Dream-Aizen talking, see if he could get some answers as to what the hell was going on here.

"Right. So this isn't a normal dream."

"Correct."

"But I am asleep?"

"Correct."

"And I can still feel pain, and the sensation of bleeding and chains..."

Aizen didn't answer the question, merely rammed his fist into Hitsuguya's nose. Blood spurted and Hitsuguya struggled to regain enough composure to continue his questioning. He glared up at Dream-Aizen,, his hatred for the man deepening, even in unconsciousness.

"You see dear boy, this is a shared dreamscape world of my own creation, you are merely a visitor here. And I have a few questions and favours to ask of you."

Hitsuguya shuddered, not liking where this was heading. He had a very bad feeling things were about to go from bad, to worse.

"I would like to know about the first division's defence."

Hitsuguya blinked. The first divisions defence? What a stupid question. Yamamoto-soutaicho defended the first division, not that he was going to say anything to Aizen. Hell would freeze over before he answered any stupid questions or did any stupid favours for that traitor even in a dream.

Hitsuguya remained silent and glared at Aizen, mustering all the defiance he could into a single look. Aizen sighed dramatically, "I really didn't want it to be this way young taicho." He picked up a syringe and plunged it into Hitsuguya's neck. "Don't worry taicho" he whispered, "We'll be seeing you again real soon"...

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_A/N: Eep! Poor Hitsuguya_

_Sorry for a short chapter_


	3. Chapter 3

_New chapter! With more Hitsu-whump __ hope you enjoy_

_Disclaimer: just for fun, don't own anything, not making any money mmk? _

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CHAP THREE

Hitsuguya slowly returned to consciousness. He sat up groggily and swung his legs down to the floor. He had the strangest feeling he was forgetting something. Shrugging off the uncomfortable sensation, he made his way to the bathroom to wash his face free of sleep. Glancing at the mirror on his way in he did a double take. Examining his face he relaxed when it looked normal and injury free. That was odd, for the slightest moment he could have sworn his reflection had a nasty cut on his cheek and a bloodied nose. But that was ridiculous. He had been fine when he went to sleep last night, and there was no way he could have received those injuries in his sleep without waking up. Laughing off his strange feelings, he revelled in the energy he had gained with that sleep. Considering how tired he was yesterday, he thought it would take much more than a nine hour sleep to recover his energy, but he was feeling totally invigorated this morning.

A hasty breakfast and shower had him hurrying off to the office to sort out Matsumoto's left over paper work from yesterday. She really was hopeless.

Hitsuguya passed an uneventful day in the office, filing reports and organising his lower ranked seats to deal with some minor hollows in Rukongai. Matsumoto had been kind to him all day, actually helping out with the work for once, claiming he needed a break, he really looked terrible. Hitsuguya couldn't understand what she meant by that, he felt great. He packed up his desk and prepared to leave early, his spirit high and happy for once.

The first step he took outside his office almost floored him. The sudden pressure was unbelievable. His eyes threatened to close as he struggled to remain conscious.

"Taicho!" Matsumoto rushed to his side, ready to help but unsure what to do.

Hitsuguya grunted and attempted a reassuring smile which looked more like an exhausted grimace to Matsumoto. "I'm fine Matsumoto, just a little tired I guess" he straightened up as best he could and began a slow shuffle towards home. Every muscle in his body ached like he'd just run a marathon, dressed in weighted chainmail. Matsumoto trudged beside him, throwing him concerned looks and disapproval at his stubbornness clear on her face.

"Taicho, let me take you to squad four, I'm sure Unohana-taicho could heal you of... this" she looked uncertain as she realised she didn't actually know what was wrong with her captain. He was clearly exhausted, but the cause of this state of near collapse was undetermined.

"No Matsumoto. I don't need the fourth division, I just need to sleep. I'm FINE. Just a little tired. Even if I went to Unohana-taicho she would just tell me to rest, and I can do that best in my own bed." Matsumoto couldn't argue with that, and as she couldn't see any injury or cause of alarm besides the obvious fatigue, she conceded defeat and walked her captain to his home.

The white haired captain stumbled straight to his room the moment he reached home and immediately crashed on the bed into a deep, impenetrable sleep.

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The dark silence felt strangely familiar. The feeling of a solid chair under him was not comforting as Hitsuguya awoke to a dim prison cell. He recognised it for what it was this time, his eyes adjusted to the gloom faster and his arms ached from being stretched behind him.

"Ya awake now lil' taicho?" Hitsuguya shivered as he recognised the sinister voice of Gin hissing in his ear. "I know it's kinda dark, an' you were probably 'spectin Aizen-sama, but I much prefer to play in shadows..." his ominous words faded as he moved away towards the door. The scrape of something metal could be heard and a bead of sweat rolled down Hitsuguya's back.

"D'ya rememba what Aizen-sama was tellin' ya last night?" Hitsuguya struggled to concentrate on Gin's words, but that metal sounded extremely threatening. He began wriggling his hands, searching for any slack in the chain that bound him.

"Well Aizen is kinda plannin' some stuff now, and he needs a bit more information and help from a lil' taicho." Gins voice mocked him sweetly. "Are ya ready to comply with his wishes?" Hitsuguya retained a stony silence, refusing to give them what they wanted. "Come on _taicho_, we don' havta do this the fun way..." The threat hung heavy in the air for a few silent moments before Hitsuguya felt his head snap back with the force of the blow to his face. Just as he turned to glare at the spot Gin had punched him from he felt his head whipped to the side as Gins fist came from an entirely different direction. Trying to make sense of the sudden placement change Hitsuguya gasped as he felt the wind rush out of him as Gin dealt him a powerful blow to the stomach.

Damn this darkness! Toshiro thought. It made it so much more difficult to keep track of Gin's movements, and hence made his attacks that much more painful for being a surprise.

Hitsuguya tried to swallow his grunts of pain as he endured an endless beating from the man he hated. Gin paused every now and again to offer him some questions, a brief respite from the pain if he would just answer some questions. Hitsuguya's pride remained intact though, and he maintained a defiant silence. Breathing became difficult and he slowly became aware through the haze of pain that Gin was no longer just using his fists. Some kind of metal encased his knuckles as he buried them again and again into Toshiro's flesh. His ribs cracked and his face was a bloody mess when finally Gin halted his tirade.

"Ya got some fight inya still don'cha lil' taicho. But don' worry, we'll soon break that spirit of yours, and your unprotected subconscious will be ours for the moulding..." Hitsuguya barely heard Gin's last words as he felt himself pulled away as a syringe plunged again into his neck.

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_A/N: uh-oh! Poor shiro all beaten up... xD _

_Sorry for any OOCness... like I said, first story, not great, but I'm trying __ reviews would be appreciated! _


	4. Chapter 4

_Um this chapter is kinda long a dull... but it answers some questions you might have... i hope..._

_I would really appreciate some constructive criticism if anyone has any, I don't feel like I'm writing all that well... too much random unimportant detail, I'm kinda rambling... _

_Also, I'm a little stuck with the plot... I have a vague idea of what I would like to happen, but not much else, so it's probably a little aimless atm... sorry :S but reviews and ideas and criticism are very very welcome!_

_Anyway, thanks for reading :)_

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CHAP FOUR

Hitsuguya awoke to the sound of his alarm. Breathing a deep, relaxed sigh he pulled himself reluctantly out of bed. His body ached but he brushed off the stiffness and put it down to the extreme exhaustion of yesterday. He could hardly expect to recover so quickly from that fatigue. Maybe Matsumoto had a point, he needed more rest than work right now.

Reaching his office he stopped dead in his tracks. Ok something was very wrong here. Peering through the door he saw Matsumoto sitting at her desk filling out paperwork efficiently. Hitsuguya was stunned. She never beat him to work, let alone did any actual work. Something had to be up and he was sure he wouldn't like it when he found out.

Marching across the room he slammed his hands down on Matsumoto's desk, his quizzical frown demanding answers. She smiled back innocently as she looked up into his confused face.

"Something wrong taicho?" Her voice was too nice, too sweet this morning. Hitsuguya continued to eye her suspiciously before she caved and let out a sigh. "I went to the fourth division on your behalf last night taicho, you looked terrible, you should have seen you! And you all but collapsed in my arms when we left the office. Of course I was worried! Anyway, Unohana said she would take a look at you first thing this morning, so for me to send you over there when you came in. So here I am!" she smiled hopefully, "I'm even doing my work so you can't complain that you have to stay here to do work!" Her smiled denoted her pride at such a wonderful plan to get her captain some help.

Throughout her explanation, Hitsuguya's eyes had gone from suspicious to horrified. No way! He didn't need the fourth division, he had told her this yesterday! He was fine! Just a little tired. He didn't need Unohana fussing over him like he was some weak child who whinged because he was a little sleepy. "Damn it Matsumoto I told you I'm fine!" His annoyance showed through the mask he usually wore to hide his emotions. She grabbed a small hand mirror and pointed it in his face, as if to show him her perspective, he looked terrible. Hitsuguya leapt back with a strangled cry as he saw the bloody mess reflected in the mirror. Breathing heavily he reached a hand up to feel his face. No blood. No injury. His face felt like it usually did. He glared back at the mirror and saw his shaken face staring back at him in surprise. He didn't look great, he had to admit, big bags outlined his eyes and he had a sickly pallor, but at least there was no blood.

Matsumoto had jumped up when her captain had cried out at his own reflection. She watched him worriedly as he touched his face and seemed to calm down a little, this was not the reaction she had expected. "What's wrong taicho?" Her voice contained a little of the desperation and fear she felt, but mostly it conveyed the concern she held for her captains wellbeing.

Hitsuguya sighed, a deep breath of relief as he turned away from the mirror to face her. "Nothing," he smiled shakily, "I just thought... Never mind, don't worry, I look fine, there's nothing wrong." Matsumoto frowned as he seemed to say the last bit more to himself. She had no idea what was going on with her captain, but it worried her to see him flustered like this. However, she knew it would take a lengthy argument to get him to agree to see the fourth, and she just wasn't up for that right now. She knew he wasn't either, and figured she would just help him complete his tasks for the day as fast as possible and send him home for some much needed rest. She would have to apologise to Unohana later.

The two settled down at their respective desks to sort through the mountain of paper work that had somehow managed to stack up overnight. Hitsuguya was always amazed that so much could happen in one night that the inbox he left empty the night before overflowed when he walked in the next morning.

The day passed uneventfully again until they were about to pack up to head home. Hitsuguya was looking forward to a nice warm meal and perhaps a Sudoku before bed when an urgent hell butterfly arrived with news of an Arrancar wreaking havoc near the tenth division barracks. Hitsuguya sighed as he flash stepped out of the room, closely followed by Matsumoto. Upon arrival at the scene, Hitsuguya drew his zanpaktou, eager to end this quickly.

The arrancar was unranked, but still powerful enough to have been a challenge for the lower classed shinigami. Its razor sharp claws extended and flexed, ready to cut and rip through flesh. Hitsuguya didn't bother with pleasantries and charged straight at the thing, swinging Hyorinmaru furiously around to strike. He was about to deliver the fatal blow when he felt the air leave his lungs. It felt as if the world had stopped as his muscles seized up and he fell to his knees weakly. The exhaustion hit him hard, at the worst possible time. Before he could regain his feet, or even lift an arm in his defence he felt one of the claws pierce his shoulder. A cry of agony escaped his lips and he felt the blood spurt as the arrancar drew back. Pain clouded his already dulled mind and he struggled desperately to open his eyes, trying to make sense of what was going on. He was vaguely aware of a tall shadow with long orange hair stepping in front of him before he lost his battle with consciousness.

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He opened his eyes with dread as he felt the hard chair beneath him and the cold chains encasing his wrists. He finally got to examine the room with the lights on and no evil ex-shinigami to distract him. The white walls held no window; no chance of escape except the heavy looking door which he assumed was locked. Besides Hitsuguya and the chair, the room was empty. Disappointed with what he found, Hitsuguya turned his inspection to himself, feeling the pain course through every muscle and joint. Damn, Gin sure gave one hell of a beating, he thought miserably.

Sitting alone in this room he realised he had time to think over his situation. He really had no idea what was going on, but knew he had to figure it out, and soon. So I'm asleep, not dreaming, can still feel pain, and Aizen, Gin and Tousen are here... he counted off the few facts he knew on one hand. Right, well that just made no sense at all did it, he grumbled. And why hadn't he remembered this crap when he woke up? How could he possibly have forgotten what Gin did to him last time he fell asleep? Wait, why did he keep falling asleep so suddenly and undesirably?... SHIT! He was in the middle of an arrancar fight when he'd passed out this time! He struggled against his chains in near panic, he had to wake up and fast. Hitsuguya was known for his cool head and steady logic in any situation, but the bizarre nature of this predicament left him slightly frazzled, and as it involved Aizen, he was very keen to head back to reality asap.

He froze as he heard a key turn in the lock and the ominous creak of the door had him placing his defiant mask back in place to hide his emotion. The three dreaded figures entered the room, every step a danger, every movement a threat. Aizen stepped forward and greeted Toshiro as he had last time, the warmth of his words belied by his menacing tone.

"Welcome back Hitsuguya-taicho, I hope you have thought about my request for answers and have decided to be smart and comply. I must warn you, your choice is irrelevant in the long run, I will get what I want, but the means of obtaining it is up to you." Hitsuguya almost laughed at his words, he had a choice? He kept his voice calm as he replied coldly "There is no choice as far as I am concerned. I will not betray Soul Society by agreeing to anything you propose." He fixed his face into a determined glare and tried to prepare himself for an inevitable world of pain.

Aizen sighed as he signalled behind him for Gin to step forward. The fox faced man drew his sword and slowly dragged the point along Hitsuguya's upper arm, leaving behind a thin line of blood. Hitsuguya tried to block the sting of the cut from his mind and remained focussed on Aizen, glaring his defiance at the man. As Gin began to carve a pattern of crisscrossed cuts across Hitsuguya's arms, Aizen continued talking. "You see Hitsuguya-taicho, you are entirely at my mercy right now. You cannot die here, for you are not truly alive here. We are in a dreamscape I created and placed inside your subconscious, and as long as I continue the injections here before you awake, you will return here each time you fall asleep." Hitsuguya gritted his teeth as Gin carved a particularly deep scratch into his flesh and was proud of how steady his voice was as he questioned "Why can't I remember these dreams when I wake up? And why do I remember everything now I'm here? And how did you manage to put this in my subconscious in the first place?" the idea of Aizen messing about in his head was disturbing to say the least.

Aizen's smile widened and his arrogant face portrayed his pride as he spoke of his newest invention. "So many questions young taicho," his mocking voice grated on Hitsuguya's nerves, but he waited for an explanation, hoping it might help him escape this madness. "Well one of my arrancar has the convenient ability to store poison in his claws... well he did have... he's dead now thanks to you, but not before he fulfilled my plan." Toshiro cast his mind back and remembered the arrancar Aizen spoke of. A few days before the weird dreams and fatigue, Hitsuguya had been called out to dispatch a difficult arrancar in east Rukongai. It had been a challenging fight, but nothing a captain couldn't handle. The small arrancar had managed a few small scratches with its needle-like claws along the side of his face before he dealt it a fatal blow. Hitsuguya thought nothing of the wound, the fourth were able to easily treat it and he had headed home to file the report on the incident.

"Of course there was no way of knowing exactly which captain would be called to deal with my little pest, but I sent him to east Rukongai as it is closest to the tenth division and would most likely be dealt with by you. He was a decent fighter, and an easy soldier to sacrifice for the war, but I knew he would be capable of a decent scratch with those claws before you took him down. Of course I had other plans if I caught a different captain, but it went smoothly and here you are now. Which leads me to the intricacies of my little poison..." Hitsuguya was shocked as he realised that Aizen's plan had been laid specifically to trap _him_. Aizen wanted Hitsuguya for some reason and Hitsuguya was sure it was nothing good.

"I have designed the poison so that you will inexplicably and unavoidably fall asleep in the early evening, approximately the same time every day. You will awake in this dreamscape where I am free to question your subconscious as I see fit, before your body naturally awakes after a refreshing sleep. Upon awakening, all memory of this dream will be forgotten as only your subconscious is aware that this is occurring at all. While fully conscious, your mind will have no indication or recollection of anything suspicious." He chuckled to himself, a cruel sound which held no mirth. "Basically Hitsuguya-taicho, there is nothing at all you can do to avoid my plans."

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_A/N: so how was that? I have got the next chapter almost done, so I will probably update soonish yay! Thanks again for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello! Sorry for the delay in updating, I've recently moved into college and have started uni yay :) so without further ado, heres chapter five!_

CHAP FIVE

Hitsuguya was stunned by the details of Aizen's plan. Shit he was in so much trouble. How the hell would he manage to get out of this one safely? He clamped down on all emotion and tried to force it to the back of his mind. Panic would only hinder him, right now he needed to think clearly. The hot blood running down his arms did nothing to help and the pain was increasing as Gin created his art upon his skin.

Aizen towered over the small captain as he stepped forward to begin his questioning. "Tell me about the first division. What has old Yamamoto done to prepare for the upcoming war? How strong are the first divisions defences? Who is second in command to take over if something were to happen to the old Soutaicho?"

Hitsuguya held his tongue and tried to ignore the grinning face with the sharp sword digging into his flesh. He would not betray Soul Society, he would not betray his friends.

Aizen smiled at the young man's silence, clearly enjoying himself. "Hitsuguya-taicho, I'm afraid you will answer my questions one way or another, so why don't you save yourself the pain, and just do it now? Tell me about the first division." Hitsuguya merely glared at the evil man, trying to muster all his courage and determination to endure the torture he knew was about to ensue.

Aizen sighed and turned to leave the room. Tousen followed and Gin remained, his fox faced grin becoming even wider as he leered down at his prey. "So be it." Aizen clicked his finger and the room returned to darkness as he exited, leaving his subordinate to his fun.

"Why d' ya protect the old man?" Gin asked as he punched Hitsuguya square in the face. "What has he ever done for ya?" A second hit had Hitsuguya reeling, his cheek throbbing and a dribble of blood leaving his lip. "It's not the Soutaicho I seek to protect" he hissed, "But I guess a traitor like you would never understand loyalty to one's home, one's friends." Hitsuguya tried to put all his hatred and venom into the words he threw at Gin, but the effect was somewhat diminished as he hissed in pain as the sharp tip of Gin's sword trailed across his collarbone.

Gin chuckled at the response and replied forebodingly, "We'll see how long that loyalty lasts..." With that he brought his sword down through the white haired boy's right hand, revelling in the scream of anguish he ripped from his throat.

Panting, Hitsuguya spat at Gin, "You bastard. I swear I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna kill you, you sick twisted son of a –" he was cut off by a strangled cry as Gin twisted the sword as he slowly dragged it out of the flesh. The sadistic grin never left his face, and his quiet words were not lost on Hitsuguya, even as the syringe was plunged once more into the tender flesh of his neck. "I'm gonna enjoy breakin' you, Hitsuguya-_taicho..._"

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Hitsuguya bolted upright, gasping. The wave of pain emanating from his shoulder told him that was a terrible idea, and he lay back down carefully. He gazed around the room, taking stock of his position. He was lying on a soft bed, in a white room, covered in bandages. This was clearly a healing room in the fourth division, and he cast his mind back, trying to remember what had landed him here. Memories of a bone aching weariness, and the phantom pain of a razor-like claw piercing his shoulder swam in the haze of his mind. Damn that was embarrassing. He had been taken down by a low class arrancar, and had to be saved by his lieutenant. He would never live this down. As the youngest and shortest captain of the thirteen Court Guard Squads, he was already self conscious around the other captains, not wanting to be seen as inexperienced and weak. This little episode was not going to help that cause, he sighed.

He glanced up when Hanatarou entered the room with a tray of soup and an encouraging smile. "Good morning taicho," he greeted his superior respectfully. "Unohana-taicho asked me to tell her when you woke up, so I'll go get her now." He turned to leave but was stopped by his patient's words. "Where is Matsumoto-san? Is she ok? Did she kill the hollow?" He began climbing out of bed, but felt himself pushed down by the small but firm hands of Hanatarou. "No no taicho! Unohana-taicho told me you must rest! She said not to let you leave until she had seen to your health personally! Please Hitsuguya-taicho, lie back down!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Hitsuguya tried again to climb out of bed. Hanatarou's fear spiked as a calm but powerful reiatsu entered the room, he spun around to his captain and hurriedly tried to explain himself.

Unohana smiled sympathetically at her flustered seventh-seat, and brushed away his apologies. "Hitsuguya-taicho, it is incredibly rude of you to leave without properly thanking your host in person, let alone abusing her wonderful helpers who only seek to do their jobs." Hanatarou sighed in relief at her understanding, and hurriedly exited the room with a fearful glance back at the boy-captain as he began his desperate plea for knowledge on his lieutenants condition.

"Matsumoto is fine, Hitsuguya-kun, and you will be too if you settle down and listen." Hitsuguya sighed, he would never win against Unohana. He lay back down and waited for her to begin. "Hitsuguya-kun you have sustained an injury to your shoulder. While it is not serious, it will take some time to fully heal, and you must rest for the next few days. I would appreciate it if you could follow my recommendations so I don't have to see you back here soon." She smiled her sweet smile, so full of underlying threat. "I would also like to discuss with you the situation that led to your injury. Matsumoto-san came to me the other night, very concerned as you had nearly collapsed. From what I have been told, you sustained the injury from the hollow when you collapsed inexplicably..." Here she paused, clearly hoping he might explain his recent exhaustion. When an explanation was not forthcoming she continued "I would like to submit you for a number of tests, so we can determine the situation, and hopefully rectify whatever that is. We need you on top of your game for the upcoming war."

Her smile was meant to be kind and reassuring but Hitsuguya was somehow reminded of a fox hunting its prey as she stood over him. He closed his eyes to regain control of himself as his heart rate increased. Her words told him she didn't trust him to fight. He was weak. He was not cut out to be captain. He was letting the whole Gotei thirteen down. His thoughts spiralled away from his control and his eyes flew open to meet the concerned presence of Unohana. As quickly as it had appeared, the feeling passed, leaving Hitsuguya confused and anxious. What the hell was happening to him?

He nodded mutely to assuage Unohana who was still staring at him, not entirely aware what he had just agreed to. At his confirmation, Unohana sighed with relief and stood up. "I believe a little more rest is in order for you taicho, so don't worry about anything today, just concentrate on healing." She turned and left the room, leaving a very confused white haired captain to stare wonderingly at the ceiling.

Hitsuguya drifted in the haze of his mind, not fully conscious, but not asleep either. He was sure he was forgetting something very important... something significant that had happened that he had to warn the Gotei thirteen about... the more he tried to remember, the harder it became, and he wandered aimlessly in the fog of his mind until he fell into a fitful sleep.

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_A/N: hope you enjoyed! If you did, please leave a review, I would love to hear some feedback, I am losing motivation to continue this fic... I've reached a bit of a block for the next chapter... if you didn't enjoy, please leave a review! Give me some constructive criticism on how to improve :) are the characters too OOC? I still don't think I'm getting them quite right..._


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for reviewing and favouriting! :) this chapter is a little short and probably confusing, also its sort of setting up the next chapters... I hope lol... anyway, hopefully its not too bad, enjoy!_

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CHAP SIX

_He watched from the ceiling as the foxfaced man circled the small captive in the centre of the room. Blood ran in rivulets down the porcelain white arms and he could make out a bloody mess instead of a face. He became vaguely aware that this scene was familiar somehow, as if he had seen it through a different perspective. He hung motionless above as the silver haired fox became agitated and smacked the white haired captive round the face. "I know your here Hitsuguya-kun... I can feel the faintest presence of ya reiatsu." Another slap echoed round the small room. "Dunno how ya managed to come back, the drugs is meant ta keep ya awake til we wanna bring ya back... But I know your here now so stop faking sleep!" He knew his master needed help, it was his job to protect him! He swirled around the ceiling in agitation, roaring his helplessness and frustration, willing the white haired boy to hear and call out so he could help him, but all he could do was remain suspended above the scene, and watch on in horror as the beating continued._

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Hitsuguya bolted upright. He had to help him! The young white haired boy was being tortured! He swung his legs out of bed and hurried towards to door before logic caught up with him. How could he help when he didn't know where it was? Wait... he'd just been asleep, it was a dream anyway... how did he know it was real? He could feel the answer to that one in his heart, it was real alright. Somewhere, that white haired boy was suffering, and he needed to stop it. Wait a minute... white haired boy? He tried to remember the strange dream he had just witnessed and found it was already warping in his mind. No, it wasn't a white haired boy, it was grey. It wasn't a boy at all, it was a dog. He shook his head in frustration, why the hell was he worried about a silver dog? He didn't even like animals!

He growled in anger at his own weakness, dammit why couldn't he remember a damn thing? He probed his mind for answers and came up empty. He turned to the dragon in his mind for help but he was deeply asleep, probably still recovering from whatever had plagued him yesterday.

He looked up when the door opened and Unohana stepped in. Her commanding presence filled him with calm and he held onto her reiatsu as a rock in the whirlpool of his mind.

"Something wrong Hitsuguya-kun?" she asked kindly, watching her small patient with a knowing eye. "I..." he began, but found he had no idea what to say. I had a weird dream Unohana-taicho, and its got me freaked out and I don't know why? Yeah that sounded mature and rational, he mentally berated himself. "It's nothing Unohana-taicho, thank you for your concern." He lay back down and continued to probe his mind, looking for answers he couldn't remember.

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Awaking again in the dark prison, memories and questions came flooding back. Taking a deep breath, Hitsuguya cleared his mind and concentrated on the chains binding him. If this was a dream, perhaps he had some control over what would happen? He focussed all his energy on loosening the uncomfortably tight restraints, a small bubble of joy welling in his chest as he felt the chain slip slightly, giving just enough for him to wriggle his small left hand free. His right hand ached from the wound Gin had inflicted, but luckily it seemed that his subconscious healed well while he was awake. He rubbed the dried blood from his bruised face and stretched cautiously, testing the ribs he suspected had broken. Everything had begun to heal, and while he was nowhere near the picture of health, the pain in his weary body was tolerable.

He stumbled to his feet and towards the door, he didn't have a plan as such, but he knew he needed to escape. Luck was with him as the door slid silently open at his touch and he peered out into the bright white hallway. His suspicion aroused as he noticed the lack of guards in the passageway. This was too easy, he thought warily. He had no choice though, he passed quietly through the door and edged along the corridor to the right. He knew wandering around aimlessly would get him nowhere, but he currently had no clue as to where he even was, let alone how to escape, really his only choice was to trust to luck.

He paused cautiously when he came upon a door, almost invisible as it blended into the walls, its only give away the small silver door knob. Pressing his ear against it he listened intently for any sound, relieved when he heard nothing. Having no other clues to his whereabouts, he eased the door open slightly, immediately on alert when he found it unlocked. This was all just too easy, it set him on edge.

The room was dark and smelt like disinfectant and cleanliness. He paused inside the door, flattened against the wall as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the gloom. An evil looking metal instrument stood in the centre of the room, wires and chains attached with no discernable pattern. Weird things floated in solutions in jars around the walls, and Toshiro shuddered when he saw some of them had eyes.

Hitsuguya froze as the lights turned on, and he heard a low chuckle behind him. "Thank you Hitsuguya-kun for saving me the trouble of escorting you here. I trust you have enjoyed your brief freedom, and rekindled the small light of hope for yourself." Aizens voice was light and mocking as he advanced into the room. "Now we begin with phase two of my plans. You have so far been uncooperative in my questioning, but not to matter, I have many other sources of information, and really the last few days have just been a test to ensure the drugs work perfectly. Now, we begin on the fun part."

Hitsuguya found himself unable to move, and glared dangerously at his captor. He had no desire to find out what Aizen considered as fun, and forced his brain to think in overdrive, searching for a solution, an escape to his current situation. This was still his dream right? So he could change it, like he had earlier with the chains! Hitsuguya concentrated, trying to force his brain to ignore his senses and the information they gave him. He was not hurt. He was not a prisoner. Aizen was not here. He repeated these statements in his head, willing them to be true. He distantly felt hands grab him and cold metal encased his shoulders and head, but he continued to block his surroundings and concentrate hard on changing the dream.

A blinding pain pierced his skull before... nothing. He was floating in darkness, a blank slate of unconsciousness. Hitsuguya smiled. Aizen might be able to control when he slept now, but he couldn't fully control his dream it seemed. Peeking an eye open his smiled faltered. The blackness dissolved back into the cold sterile room, and he felt the metal encase him once more. Looking up with hatred at his captor, he was shocked to find the Soutaicho staring stonily back at him. His heart lifted as he dared to hope he had truly changed the dream...

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_A/N: so theres chapter 6 :) let me know if it made sense, if its too confusing, let me know! I would LOVE to hear from readers! Good or bad reviews would make my day and inspire me to write and update faster! Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: sorry for the ridiculous delay in this chapter, I've kinda lost interest in this fandom somewhat and have had a serious case of writers block. But heres the next chapter! Unfortunately, no guarantee on when the next chapter will be up, but ill try and make it soon :)_

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CHAP SEVEN

Yamamoto-soutaicho stared down at Hitsuguya, encased in the cold metal frame of the contraption in the centre of the room. Hitsuguya sighed as he found once more he was unable to move, this imprisonment thing was really getting old. Hitsuguya was surprised the old head captain hadn't already freed him from his metal prison, and glanced up reluctantly to voice his predicament.

Nothing could have prepared him for the heated glare he was met with. The Soutaicho's eyes burned with a dark hatred that Hitsuguya could not fathom. The words he spoke cut him to the bone.

"Need help _again_ child?" His voice was icy with disdain, contrasting harshly with the fire in his gaze. "It seems every time I turn my back you are getting into trouble. I don't know why I even made you a captain, a _child_ as incompetent as yourself. I've half a mind to just leave you here, that way you cannot bother me further. You are a disgrace to the 13 court guard squads."

Hitsuguya felt the words pierce his heart like knives, his insecurities thrown back in his face by a man he respected and admired, a man he thought had trusted him and his dragon in return. All he could do was stare open mouthed as the wizened captain strode to the door. He hardly felt the pain as the door slammed loudly, ringing in his ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he barely noticed the flash of silver hair, the spider-like fingers that plunged drugs straight into his veins...

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Hitsuguya came to slowly, his head was pounding and his shoulder still ached. There was a deep ache in his chest he could not quite place, like something had hit a nerve in his heart. He vaguely became aware of voices around his bed, and upon opening his eyes, the blurry outlines of the captains came into view.

"The condition of Hitsuguya-kun's illness is still unknown. Until a time when we can determine the cause and implications of his condition, he has been relieved of duty." The voice of Yamamoto-soutaicho was deep and calm as usual, but something about it caused the ache in Toshiro's heart to increase.

Unohana's voice spoke up, "So far I have been able to determine that Hitsuguya-kun falls inexplicably unconscious at around the same time each day. This has happened noticeably for the past 5 days, and was the cause of Hitsuguya's injury while fighting that low-classed arrancar. He sleeps fitfully until morning, occasionally crying out as if in pain, however nothing will wake him until morning. I am concerned about his condition and would like to run a sleep study to gain some extra information." At this point she paused before continuing very reluctantly, "Kurotsuchi-taicho, I will need access to some equipment from the twelfth division and your expertise in using it to complete this study." She sighed, and her dislike of the man was apparent.

Kurotsuchi's face lit up as he muttered, "Such a unique specimen, such an interesting case, yes indeed I will be happy to help examine the little taicho..." He leered over the white haired captain, bringing attention to his state of consciousness.

Hitsuguya sat up slowly, peering around at the captains gathered in his room. He felt very exposed and vulnerable, lying on the white sheets before the most powerful shinigami in all of soul society. The illogical need to assert his power and authority overwhelmed him, he could not allow these people to look down on him, he was not weak. Calling forth his reiatsu to cool the temperature of the room, he was shocked to find his call echo round the empty dragons cave in his heart. Where was Hyourinmaru?... Shaking off the foreboding feeling growing in his mind he tried to assert his place among the powerful shinigami by drawing himself up to the tallest he could be and climbing out of bed. He put on the most convincing mask he could muster and perfectly controlled his voice as he addressed them, "Thank you all for your concern, but I am merely overworked and overtired. It will not happen again, I am well rested and perfectly capable of fulfilling my duties as captain now."

He began towards to door, only to find a gnarled hand placed firmly on his shoulder steering him back to bed. He flinched reflexively when he looked up to find the Soutaicho, something about the old man's presence was unnerving.

Without acknowledging the white haired captain under his hand, Yamamoto gave his permission for the sleep study to proceed, released Hitsuguya to his bed, and abruptly left. The other captains began to file out too, Ukitake and Kyouraku casting concerned glances back at the youngest. Hitsuguya usually got on very well with the two, their good humoured teasing never bothered him, and he knew the concern they showed him was genuine. However somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice whispered doubts. _They think you are weak. They are concerned that finding a replacement captain for you will mean extra work for them. You are no more than a child to them, a brat who causes trouble whenever their back is turned..._

Hitsuguya winced as a sharp pain in his skull accompanied the harsh words, like something foreign was forcing its way into his head. Unohana's sharp eyes didn't miss the pain that flitted across his features, and he relaxed as her cool reiatsu enveloped him.

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The last few hours had been unpleasant to say the least. Unohana had accompanied Toshiro to the twelfth division, where Kurotsuchi-taicho had been eagerly waiting. The mad scientist had strapped Hitsuguya to a metal table, barely containing his excitement at his latest specimen. Unohana had objected strongly at his poor bedside manner, and attempted to soothe Hitsuguya's obvious discomfort and anxiety. Kurotsuchi began stripping Hitsuguya, methodically placing electrodes and wires on his skin, which were hooked up to strange computer-like devices with flashing buttons and quiet beeping. The twelfth squad captain was efficient and quick, and soon the young white haired prodigy was left in just his boxers, the awkward wires and machines only adding to his unease. Hitsuguya did not like to be at the insane man's mercy, feelings of helplessness and claustrophobia plagued him.

"Now Hitsugaya-taicho, we wait for you to sleep," the insane leader of the twelfth division declared.

Turning his head slightly, Hitsugaya found the comforting presence of Unohana and tried to relax. It was around this time that the exhaustion hit him and his eyelids dropped as he felt himself dragged unwillingly into the oblivion of his unconscious.


End file.
